Tuesday marked 70 years since the Burngrange Mining Disaster in West Calder, in which 15 men were killed.

To mark the anniversary local community organisations and individuals in the village and from Seafield have come together to plan a series of events this Saturday to honour the men who lost their lives.

Members of the Calder History Group set up to organise this weekend’s commemorations say they are hoping for a good turn-out.

Alan Tuffs said: “It’s been a good team working together on the preparation for the commemoration, including ex miners, members of the families, members of the local history group of the Community Development Trust as well as the council and the Almond Valley Heritage Trust.

“We have received funding from BP and from the Scottish Coal Industries Special Welfare Fund which has enabled us to assemble both a superb exhibition and a detailed Commemoration service in Union Square .

“We all feel confident that the Saturday events will be an appropriate marking of the anniversary.”

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Events on Saturday will include a gathering at Union Square with an ecumenical service of remembrance, poems and songs by children from Parkhead and St Mary’s Primary Schools along with music from West Calder Public Band.

A reading of ‘Why we are here’ and words from ex-shale miner Davie Johnstone will take place along with a welcome from former West Lothian Provost Joe Thomas.

In addition to the commemoration service, there will be an exhibition of material related to shale mining and to the disaster in the former CIS base adjacent to Union Square.

Burngrange No 1 & 2 pits were a showcase of the oil shale mining industry.

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Built in 1936/7 and closed in 1956, the pits were sunk to a depth of over 500 feet and employed 205 people at the time of the incident. An explosion on Friday, January 10, 1947 led to the death of one miner by injury and 14 others by carbon monoxide poisoning.

David Carroll, William Carroll, Henry Law Cowie, George Easton, John Fairley, William Gray Boyd Findlay, Anthony Gaughan, William Greenock, Thomas Dempster Heggie, John Sommerville Lightbody, James McAuley, John McGarty, David Muir, Samuel Dargavel Pake and William Findlay Ritchie all lost their lives that day.

The exhibition will be open today (Thursday), 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 8pm, tomorrow (Friday) 11am to 3pm, Saturday 12pm to 3pm, Monday 11am to 3pm, Tuesday 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 8pm and Wednesday 11am to 3pm

For more information on the commemoration event and exhibition visit www.burngrange70.co.uk.